Corys Gone From Highly Active...

[nurglespuss]

I think they are probably just adjusting to the new environment, but I'm starting to wonder... is 18" too deep a tank for these fish? They do seem to take some effort to get to the surface, and then seem to hover there for quite sum time before swimming back down...

I'think' my pibull plec may have taken an instant dislike to them... he may be bullying them if not actually harming them?

I may have to rehome the pibull... especially as i cant find any tankmates of his own species...

 

[ZoddyZod]

I've got bronze corys in a 24" tall tank.......they do perfectly fine so would assume it's not that.

 

[Tizer]

All my corys are in a 2 foot deep tank, depth is not an issue. They do chill out a lot during the day and are most active at night. Mine also hover mid water then suddenly shoot up for air then back down quickly. Its quite natural for them. Pitbulls are territorial, they will bully corys away often.

 

[Biulu]

Mine are very active during the day and regularly 'shoot' up to the surface and then back down again. They never really stay long up. Have you seen the pitbull bothering them? I even have kept cories with a betta male, and although he hassles them, they simply avoid him. After some time he gets tired and just let them be...

 

[This Old Spouse]

Have you tested your water lately? I'm was a little concerned when I read your post about taking a hacksaw to the skulls (great title) because of what you might have leached into the water by sawing them open. Are they made of resin?

 

[nurglespuss]

Hi there, yes they are made of aquarium safe resin, but your right, its worth checking on!

All tests check out fine, filter settled in well with mature media after a powercut blip (before any new fish were added).

Ammonia 0ppm, nitrite 0, nitrate 0.02, pH7.2-7.4, temperature 22-23'C.

will recheck when i get home this evening...

 

[This Old Spouse]

I think your nitrates should be a bit higher, but nothing to worry about ATM. Just to be on the safe side I'd do a water change when you get home. It never hurts. Then see what their activity level is after the W/C.

 

[nurglespuss]

Cool will do, thanks, I did one yesterday, but another won't hurt

My tap water is also a little cloudy which again probably doesn't help!

I'll be setting up a holding tank for the pitbull this evening I think.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Have you tested your tap water? Odd that it's cloudy. Is it cloudy all the time or just certain times of the year?

I was mostly worried about the skulls because they might be "aquarium safe resin" in their original state, but I'd think they're sealed with something. Once you cut through them you exposed the raw material underneath. Just sayin'.

 

[nurglespuss]

a very good point, I 'think' they are OK as 2 of them had chips etc. taken out of them and things seemed OK...

But I'll email the manufacturer and check.

the water has been cloudy for about a week now, theres no pH change though...

Hmmmmm....

 

[This Old Spouse]

Our water here is taken from a nearby lake and processed, but twice a year it turns cloudy for a time because the lake "turns over" ... in the summer the warmer water is at the top and cooler water at the bottom. This time of year the colder water ends up on top (and freezes) and the warmer water drops to the bottom, thereby turning over. I wonder if your water does the same?

 

[Tizer]

sounds like a whole lot of something out of nothing.

 

[nurglespuss]

Fair enough

I'll wait and see...

Cheers!

 

[friendlyfishy777]

I don't know about the height but I have found Trilineatus to have a much more sensitive temperament than my other corys, so the pitbull is probley stressing them out. I was thinking of getting a pitbull pleco myself but after reading this I've changed my mind.

I think triliniatus prefer a temp of 24c but you aren't so far off that but I wonder if the slightly lower temp is making them less active. Though, seeing you have white clouds it's best to keep the temp where it is.

What test kit are you using? Your nitrates seems too low to be true (I'm a bit jelous if they really are that low ). I ask because when my corys went s bit subdued after a week of having them it was the nitrates. Test strips give really inaccurate results so I'd stick well clear of those.

 

[nurglespuss]

Yes, I 'think' C. tril's can go down to about 18'C (according to planetcatfish) but your right, it might explain their slowness.

Yes, its a shame, until they were introduced the pitbull was playful, and fun... well, live and learn I suppose?

I am starting to wonder about these cut skulls though...

have emailed the manufacturer for confirmation.

Luckily I work in a lab so can use calibrated testing equipment whenever I need to ;p pretty much nothing i can't test for, I even ran a sample through the spectrometer today to see how much the cloudiness is hampering visibility ;p